Vented cooker valve



May 3, 1949. RC. WILBUR VENTED COOKER VALVE Filed May 14, 1946 ww 7 mmPAUL. C. W/LBUE;

attew m Patented May 3, 1949 VENTED COOKER VALVE.

Paul C. Wilbur, San Jose, Calif., assignor to Food Machinery andChemical Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Application May 14,1946, Serial No. 669,727

The present invention appertains to pressure cookers having a treatingchamber for treating articles therein and more particularly relates tofluid tight valves associated therewith for admitting articles to or fordischarging them from said chamber.

These valves, well known in the art, admit the articles to or dischargethe same from the pressure treating chamber of the cooker in asatisfactory manner and with a minimum release of pressure therefrom,however, they necessarily carry a certain amount of air at atmosphericpressure into the chamber. The air thus introduced into the chamberduring continuous operation of the valves causes the formation of airpockets in the chamber which prevent complete sterilization of thearticles treated unless the cooker is constantly bled whereby acontinuous agitation of the treating medium in the chamber is obtainedand the formation of air pockets is thereby prevented. However,irrespective of the constant bleeding of the cooker, air is continuouslyadmitted into the treating chamber by the inlet and outlet valvesthereof and mixed with the treating medium whereby the rate of heatexchange between the treating medium and the articles to be treated isreduced. Furthermore, the reduction of the rate of heat exchangerequires a greater input of heat treating medium into the chamber inorder to operate the cooker at its maximum efliciency.

The present invention contemplates the elimination of the admittance ofair into the treating chamber of the cooker by the inlet and outletvalves and maintenance of the maximum heat exchange efiiciency in thepressure medium therein.

Another object is to provide an apparatus for automatically ejecting theair from the pockets of the inlet and outlet valves of cookers prior toregistration of the pockets with the treating chamber so as to eliminatethe introduction of air into the same.

Another object is to provide an apparatus for venting the articlecarrying pockets of inlet and outlet valves of cooking apparatus and forcharging the pockets with treating medium to displace the air therefromprior to the communication of the pockets with the treating chamber.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention willbecome apparent from the description and drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary end View of a combined cooker and cooler and afeed and discharge valve associated therewith; certain parts are brokenaway while others are shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the feed valve or inlet valve shown in Fig. 1,the view being taken along line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 31s a fragmentary section through the 3 Claims. (Cl. 198211)discharge or transfer valve of the cooker and cooler taken along line3-3 of Fig. 1.

For purposes of this application the present invention has beenillustrated in association with a cooker and cooler of the typedescribed in reissued patent to Albert R. Thompson, No. 15,334, datedApril 11, 1922. It should be understood, however, that the inventionherein is equally applicable to other forms of pressure treatingapparatus and, therefore, is not limited to the precise constructionshown herein. Since the construction, operation, and general purpose ofthe cooker and cooler illustrated herein are specifically described inthe above mentioned patent, only so much of its structure and operationwill be given herein as necessary to a clear understanding of thepresent invention.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings, the cooker is indicated by reference numeralI and the cooler by reference numeral 2 each of which comprises acylindrical shell 3 and t, respectively, providing separate pressurechambers 5 and 6. The chamber 5 of the cooker is supplied with steamunder pressure from a source, not shown, and the steam thus supplied ismaintained at suitable sterilizing pressure and temperature in a wellknown manner. The apparatus illustrated is adapted for handling cannedgoods and, as disclosed in the aforementioned patent, the cans areconveyed through the chamber 5 of the cooker along a helical track, notshown, by a reel 1, part of which is shown in Fig. 1. The cooker isprovided with a central shaft 8 to which the reel 1 is secured and theshaft is driven in a conventional manner to cause the cans to movethrough the chamber 5 at a predetermined speed to assure maximum cookingefliciency.

The cans are sup-plied to the cooker I (Fig. 1) through a feed valve Incomprising a housing ll bolted, as shown at l2, in sealed relation tothe shell 3 adjacent one end thereof and. a rotary turret 13 mountedwithin the housing ,II on a shaft I4 journalled in bearings I 5 on theside walls of the housing. Secured to one end of the shaft M is a gearHi which meshes with a bull gear I! in turn secured to the shaft 8 fordriving the turret in timed relation with the reel 1.

The housing II has an annular wall l9 provided with an inlet '20 throughwhich the cans are successively fed one after another into pockets 2|formed in the periphery of the turret I 3. The pockets 2i are sealedfrom each other by Sealing strips 22 in the partitions between thepockets which sealing strips bear against the inner face of the annularwall I9. The pockets 2! are further sealed from one another by sealingrings 23 (Fig. 3) which expand against the inner face of the annularwall [9 and are urged against the sides of the turret l3 by springs 24.

supported in glands 2'5 threaded-into'the side walls of the housing. Asthe turret l3 rotates, the cans received in the pockets 2! aredischarged through an outlet 20a. of the'annular wall I9 and fall oneafter another into the feed end of the helical track within the shell 3for conveyance therethrough by the reel I.

At the opposite end of the helical track the shell 3 is provided with anopening 26 over which either a discharge valve or a transfer valve ismounted, in sealed relation to the shell 3, through which valve the canspass for further handling. In the present arrangement, the cansdischarging from the cooker l discharge into a transfer valve 27 of astructure similar to the feed valve l described above except that theannular wall I9 of the housing H of the transfer valve has an inlet 28communicating with the opening 26 of the cooker shell and an outlet, notshown, discharging into a can track 29 in the chamber of the cooler forconveyance therethrough by a reel 39 in the same manner as hereinbeforeexplained in connection with the cooker.

The reel of the cooler is associated with a central shaft 3! and thetransfer valve 21 has a turret l3 mounted on a shaft M to which a gearI5 is secured meshing with bull gears 32 and 33 associated with theshafts '8 and 3! of the cooker and cooler, respectively.

The cans discharging from the cooker are transferred into the cooler bythe transfer Valve 21 at sterilizing temperature and, if cooled toosuddenly will panel due to a greater than a predetermined temperaturedifferential, or might burst due to a greater than a predeterminedpressure differential. Therefore, in accordance with common practice,the chamber 5 of the cooler is divided into several compartments each ofwhich is supplied with a cooling medium, such as water, which attains atemperature at its can receiving end sufficient to prevent panelling ofthe cans and air under pressure to establish a limited pressuredifferential sufiicient to prevent bursting of the cans while they aregradually cooled as they are conveyed through the cooler. Consequently,as the cans leave the pockets 2! of the transfer valve, air enters thepockets 2! and will be carried thereby toward the opening 25communicating with the pressure chamber 5 of the cooker. Likewise, asthe pockets 2! of the feed valve In receive cans through the inlet 2;!thereof, air at atmospheric pressure enters the pockets 2| and as theycommunicate with the chamber 5 they too carry air toward the same.

From the foregoing it is apparent that as either pockets 2! or 2|approach the chamber 5 the air carried by such pockets would normallyenter the chamber, admix with the steam therein and thereby lower theheat exchanging efficiency of the steam within the chamber. However,each of the housings I I and I I is provided with transversely alignedopenings 34 and 35 in their annular walls 19 and I9 on that side thereofwhere the pockets approach the chamber. Threaded into the opening 34 ofthe feed valve I9 is one end of a conduit 36 having its other endthreaded into a tapped opening 31 in the shell 3 to permit steam comingfrom the chamber 5 to enter each pocket as it is isolated within thehousing H and approaching the chamber.

The conduit 36 is provided with a valve 38 or. if desired, it may beprovided with a fixed orifice for controlling the discharge of steamquently, the isolated pocket will receive a charge of steam at thepressure prevailing within the chamber 5 to eject the air from thepocket which is vented through the opening 35. The opening 35 has a pipe39 threaded thereinto for discharging the air and steam ejected from thevalve pockets into the atmosphere and, if preferred, this pipe 39 may beconnected to a stack, not shown, to carry the ejected air and steam awayfrom the apparatus.

The air in the pockets 2| of the transfer valve 2? is similar displacedby providing the transfer valve with a conduit 36' threaded into theopening 36 in the annular wall IQ of the transfer valve which conduit35' is also communicated with the chamber 5, as shown in Fig. 1. As apocket 2! registers with the opening 34, it is vented through theopening 35 having an exhaust pipe 39' threaded thereinto in the samemanner as above explained in connection with the feed valve iii.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that as each pocket 2! and 21 isisolated within its respective valve housing and approaches the chamberit passes the openings 34 to receive a charge of steam from the chamber5 via the conduit 36 or 36', as the case may be, to displace and ejectthe air from the pocket through the vent provided by the openings 35 andthe conduit 39 or 39. Consequently, as the pockets pass out ofregistration with the openings 3% and 35, they are completely chargedwith steam at a pressure and temperature comparable to that of thetreating medium in the chamber 5 so that when the pockets subsequentlycommunicate with the chamber 5 to discharge cans into the same or toreceive cans therefrom, there will be no air admitted into the chamber 5and, therefore, the steam under pressure in the chamber 5 will bemaintained at its maximum heat exchanging efficiency. By eliminating theadmission of air into the cooker chamber by way of the feed anddischarge valves, as hereinbefore explained, it will no longer benecessary to constantly bleed the pressure chamber to eliminate airpockets therein, as was heretofore the practice, and, consequently, itwill only be necessary to bleed the chamber periodically and by hand.Moreover, since the admission of air from the valve pockets into thepressure chamber 5 by way of the valves is completely eliminated, therewill be no admixture of cold air with the steam pressure medium in suchchamber, and, therefore, sterilization of the cans will be moreefficiently accomplished. In this manner, the running time of the cookercan be shortened considerably with an assurance that the canned goodswill be properly processed and the amount of steam under pressuresupplied to the chamber will accordingly be reduced.

While a preferred structure for fulfilling the objects of this inventionhas been specifically described in conjunction with the particular formof cooking and cooling apparatus illustrated, it will be understood thatvarious modifications and alterations may be made without departing fromthe spirit of the invention. I, therefore, desire to avail myself of allmodifications and alterations coming within the scope of the presentinvention as defined in the accompanying claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire toprotect by- Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a pressure treating'apparatus including apressure treating chamber, a valvefor admitting articles to 'ordischarging them from the chamber, comprising a housing ets during theintroduction of treating medium into the same for ejecting air therefromprior to communication of said pocket with said chamher.

2. In a pressure treating apparatus having a chamber containing heattreating medium and a valve for admitting articles to or dischargingthem from said chamber, said valve comprising a housing provided with acylindrical surface and having inlet and outlet openings therein andenclosing a rotary turret having an article carrying pocket in itsperiphery alternately communicable with the interior and exterior ofsaid chamber through said openings, sealing means intermediate saidhousing and turret, a conduit extending from said chamber to saidhousing for discharging heat treating medium into said pocket as itapproaches said chamber, and means for venting said pocket while itreceives heat treating medium from-said conduit for ejecting the airfrom said pocket prior to its communication with said chamber.

3. A valve for a pressure treating chamber comprising a housing havingan inlet and an outlet opening, one communicating with the interior ofsaid chamber and the other communicating with the exterior of saidchamber, a rotary turret in said housing having a pocket for receivingan article at one of said openings and for discharging the article atthe other of said openings, said valve having means intermediate saidhousing and turret for sealing the pocket therein during its movementbetween said openings, means for injecting a charge of pressure treatingmedium into said pocket as it approaches communication with the interiorof said chamber and for simultaneously venting said pocket for ejectingair therefrom prior to communication of the pocket with said chamber.

PAUL C. WILBUR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,327,540 Fooks Jan. 6, 19201,976,754 Thompson .J Oct. 16, 1934 2,267,346 Thomas Dec. 23, 19412,393,997 Lehmann Feb. 5, 1946

